Planning Commentary Official

Secondary Mathematics
Task 1: Planning Commentary
TASK 1: PLANNING COMMENTARY

Respond to the prompts below (no more than 9 single-spaced pages, including prompts) by typing your responses within the
brackets. Do not delete or alter the prompts. Pages exceeding the maximum will not be scored.
1. Central Focus
a. Describe the central focus and purpose of the content you will teach in the learning
segment.
[The central focus for these three lessons is to provide students with a deeper knowledge of
basic shapes they have been exposed to from a young age. They will also be shown different
relationships between these shapes and their dimensions in order to provide them with the
knowledge they need to find missing dimensions using equations in their tool sets.
First students will start with a lesson about perimeter and learn the relationships
between figures and their sides. They will also learn how to find missing dimensions given the
perimeter and having to work backwards in order to find these pieces, or sides. Lastly, they will
be asked to find the perimeter of irregular shapes in order to test their knowledge of perimeter,
which should be sufficient to find a perimeter of anything if provided with the necessary lengths
of sides.
In the next lesson students will revisit the idea of area. We will look at area as the two-
dimensional space that is taken up by a shape. Students will continue their learning by utilizing
different equations for areas. Once a basic understanding of area is obtained, they will try to use
their knowledge of area equations to try and find a missing side given the other sides and the
area equation, or in other words, will try to work backwards. They will do this to test their
comprehension of the relationship of sides and area.
Lastly students will be confronted with shapes that are new to them. They will learn how
to use equations of area and modify them in order to find the area of composite (or irregular)
shapes. They will learn to break down these complex figures into smaller shape, or even pieces
of shapes, in order to find the area of the composite shape as a whole. Students will also be
asked to find the perimeter of these complex shapes to test their comprehension of perimeter as
well.
The purpose of these three lessons is to deepen students’ knowledge of shapes and the
relationships of a shapes to their sides. They will also learn how different equations can be used
to ‘go backwards’ in a sense and use an area per say to find a length of a side.]
b. Given the central focus, describe how the standards and learning objectives within your
learning segment address
 conceptual understanding,
 procedural fluency, AND
 mathematical reasoning and/or problem-solving skills.
[ During the first lesson regarding perimeter students will gain a basic conceptual
understanding by looking at shapes that have all their side lengths given and be asked to find
the perimeter. This will show that they understand the concept because the only task being
asked of them is to calculate the perimeter. Once students have a conceptual understanding,
there will be an idea of fluency introduced. They will be asked to find missing sides of a square
or rectangle (if the congruent opposite side is given) or will be give shapes that may not have all
the lengths written out but given in the format of a word problem. If students understand that the
perimeter is adding up all the sides of a shape, then they should know that is there are missing
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sides they will need to find them using their prior knowledge of shapes. Finally, students will
demonstrate their knowledge of perimeter through problem solving. They will be given word
problems in which they need to solve for sides and interpret the information. They will also have
to use mathematical reasoning to find the length of a side given a perimeter.
In the second lesson students will demonstrate their conceptual understanding by
solving for area using a grid. This will show they understand the basic concept of area as a
down dimensional space taken up by a shape. Students then will demonstrate procedural
fluency through being able to solve for area of multiple basic geometric shapes. They will
demonstrate this through being given a shape and the needed side lengths and asked to solve
for the area. Finally, students will engage their problem-solving skills through the practice of
both setting up equations from word problems, and also by finding missing side lengths given an
area of the shape.
The third lesson will teach students how to calculate the area of composite or irregular
shapes. They will show conceptual understanding of this concept by being able to find the area
of a composite shape given the side lengths. Students will then show their procedural fluency
through completing challenging problems where they must first break apart a composite shape
and possibly even calculate side lengths in order to calculate the area. Lastly, students will both
set up and solve word problems of area that contain multiple shapes or pieces of shapes.]
c. Explain how your plans build on each other to help students make connections
between concepts, computations/procedures, AND mathematical reasoning or problem-
solving strategies to build understanding of mathematics.
[ During the first lesson on perimeter students will connect to their past knowledge of shapes
and sides of shapes. They will also use their knowledge of parts of shapes such as sides and
even parts of circles such as a radius.
Students will then use their knowledge of perimeter during the area lesson. They will use
this same past knowledge to find missing sides in order to calculate areas. They will also use
their new information on perimeter to find missing sides as well. Students will finally look deeper
at the connection between area and perimeter.
Finally, students will put together knowledge they learned in the first two lessons to find
areas of composite shapes. They will use perimeter equations to find missing segments. They
then can use their equations of area to manipulate them to represent the figure they have. And
lastly, students will put together all their knowledge of shapes to solve word problems that
include composite shapes.]
2. Knowledge of Students to Inform Teaching

For each of the prompts below (2a–c), describe what you know about your students with
respect to the central focus of the learning segment.
Consider the variety of learners in your class who may require different strategies/support
(e.g., students with IEPs or 504 plans, English language learners, struggling readers,
underperforming students or those with gaps in academic knowledge, and/or gifted
students).
a. Prior academic learning and prerequisite skills related to the central focus—Cite
evidence of what students know, what they can do, and what they are still learning
to do.
[Based on the pre-test, the students exhibited a fair knowledge of perimeter and area of
quadrilateral shapes. A few students, however, still struggled with area which will make it an
important subject to revisit. This would also be a good place where challenge problems would
be good for those who already have a good understanding of perimeter and area of
quadrilateral. A handful of students struggled with area of triangles and composite shape. The
majority of students, however, did struggle with all kinds of composite shapes. I can conclude by
this that composite shapes will need the most attention by the students.]
b. Personal, cultural, and community assets related to the central focus—What do you
know about your students’ everyday experiences, cultural and language
backgrounds and practices, and interests?
[I know that many of my students come from a variety of different backgrounds. Forest Lake
is made up of, lake houses, trailer parks, town houses, and farms. There are many different
types of students with different interests such as music, art, sports, nature, etc. These students
have very diverse homelife’s and interests which will make it hard to connect to each one,
making it a high priority. Because of the diversity in students I will have a variety of word
problems about many different subjects trying to engage each student.
There are also a few different language backgrounds because there is a Spanish Immersion
school as well as a partial immersion school. This will affect the classroom because the
students who speak Spanish tend to gather together and leave others out not making for a very
inclusive environment.]
c. Mathematical dispositions—What do you know about the extent to which your students
 perceive mathematics as “sensible, useful, and worthwhile”1
 persist in applying mathematics to solve problems
 believe in their own ability to learn mathematics
[Many of my students don’t see math as worth their time right now. I plan to address this by
including many word problems that are relevant to each and every student’s diverse
backgrounds. A few students definitely will persist with their problem-solving skills, especially
the bilingual students, however, this will be a major struggle for some students. Finally,
student’s mentality about their ability to learn mathematics will also vary drastically. Because
they all come from different home lives, the messages they have received from at home based
on their ability to learn math, or lack thereof, will vary.]
3. Supporting Students’ Mathematics Learning

1
From The Common Core State Standards for Mathematics
Respond to prompts below (3a–c). To support your justifications, refer to the instructional materials
and lesson plans you have included as part of Planning
Task 1. In addition, use principles from research and/or theory to support your justifications.
a. Justify how your understanding of your students’ prior academic learning; personal,
cultural, and community assets; and mathematical dispositions (from prompts 2a–c
above) guided your choice or adaptation of learning tasks and materials. Be explicit about
the connections between the learning tasks and students’ prior academic learning, their
assets, their mathematical dispositions, and research/theory.
[Because this unit will have many different methods of solving problems, I am sure that
student’s academic background will have an effect on how students will solve each
individual problem. I have designed my instruction, for composite shapes specifically,
around a more group setting. Vygotsky’s theory on constructivism says that students learn in
an environment in which learning is promoted, I have created this environment by making
the notes activity based in a group setting. This will help students both learn the content and
learn the content in a way that they understand it in their own specific way.]
b. Describe and justify why your instructional strategies and planned supports are appropriate for
the whole class, individuals, and/or groups of students with specific learning needs.
Consider the variety of learners in your class who may require different
strategies/support (e.g., students with IEPs or 504 plans, English language learners,
struggling readers, underperforming students or those with gaps in academic
knowledge, and/or gifted students).
[The activity-based notes will instruct and inform all students because the learning will be based
on what they already know and building off of that. When students are asked to try and figure
out answers themselves, they understand a much deeper conceptual knowledge than if they
were simply shown a procedural route. I will put students who tend to struggle with students
who are in a similar boat as then so they don’t feel overwhelmed with all the ideas of their peers
who may be much more advanced. This will also offer the opportunity for them to connect with
others and not feel left out or alone. Students who struggle with reading will do very well with
this activity because there are little to no words. I will make sure to have very clear instructions
in class to assure that they know what is expected of them. The students who struggle with
math anxiety will be eased by the group setting, but also because when I am going over this
problem, I will emphasize that whatever you know right now is okay and any ideas are welcome
while we brainstorm.]
b. Describe common mathematical preconceptions, errors, or misunderstandings
within your central focus and how you will address them.
[The biggest errors I believe I will see is students using wrong equations (e.g an equation of
a circle for a semicircle) and students using incorrect side lengths or proportions to help
students with visualization of these side lengths I will encourage them to draw out pictures of
the pieces in which they have broken up the shape. This will help students because there
will be fewer numbers overall and they will have to think critically about the side lengths as
they label them on their own drawings. To help students with using the correct equation we
will have a similar process. We will first determine what shapes we have and then write the
equations out for each section BEFORE calculating specific parts. This will help students to
be more organized and to also take a moment before jumping into plugging and chugging to
think critically about the shapes they have, and what they’re doing to solve them.]
4. Supporting Mathematics Development Through Language
As you respond to prompts 4a–d, consider the range of students’ language assets and
needs—what do students already know, what are they struggling with, and/or what is new to
them?
a. Language Function. Using information about your students’ language assets and
needs, identify one language function essential for students to develop conceptual
understanding, procedural fluency, and mathematical reasoning or problem-solving skills
within your central focus. Listed below are some sample language functions. You may
choose one of these or another language function more appropriate for your learning
segment.
Compare/Contrast Justify Describe Explain Prove
Please see additional examples and non-examples of language functions in the

glossary.
[The language function I chose is explain.]
b. Identify a key learning task from your plans that provides students with opportunities to
practice using the language function identified above. Identify the lesson in which the
learning task occurs. (Give lesson day/number.)
[In lesson 3 students will need to utilize the language function explain a great amount. Students
will be asked to break apart composite figures. They must be able to do so and explain their
reasoning. This reasoning will show students understanding of the process as breaking down
the shape in its entirety. Their ability to explain why they prove the shape up into the specific
shapes will show their overall knowledge. They will also be asked to explain their prior
knowledge in the activity-based notes. They will need to communicate this information with their
group members and will also need to understand their groups explanations.]
c. Additional Language Demands. Given the language function and learning task
identified above, describe the following associated language demands (written or oral)
students need to understand and/or use:
 Vocabulary and/or symbols
 Mathematical precision2 (e.g., using clear definitions, labeling axes, specifying units
of measure, stating meaning of symbols), appropriate to your students’ mathematical
and language development
 Plus at least one of the following:
 Discourse
 Syntax
[ The vocabulary students must use when explaining their answers to the activity mentioned
above are estimate, area, semicircle, and perimeter. The students must also know relationships
between circles and semicircles, as well as relationships between perimeter and area.
Students will show their mathematical precision by being able to construct an equation that
they have made by using their knowledge of semicircles and area. They will also show their
ability to find missing dimensions of an irregular shape based on their knowledge of perimeter.
2
For an elaboration of “precision,” refer to the “Standards for Mathematical Practice” from The Common Core State Standards
for Mathematics (June 2010), which can be found at http://www.corestandards.org/assets/CCSSI_Math%20Standards.pdf.
The syntax of the vocabulary will be demonstrated if they are able to correctly identify the
relationships between perimeter and area in order to find a missing dimension. If this syntax is
not developed, then student will struggle with finding the correct area because they will use the
numbers given to them and overgeneralize what these numbers represent if they don’t know
how to find them.
Once students understand the vocabulary, mathematical precision, and the syntax, they will
be able to put it all together and find the area of an irregular figure that may even have missing
sides.]
d. Language Supports. Refer to your lesson plans and instructional materials as needed
in your response to the prompt.
 Identify and describe the planned instructional supports (during and/or prior to the
learning task) to help students understand, develop, and use the identified language
demands (function, vocabulary and/or symbols, mathematical precision, discourse,
or syntax).
[During the instructional task students will be given a list of the vocabulary that is essential for
the lesson. They will either have to fill in the blanks, or the definitions will be given to them,
based on the lesson. Students will then be able to refer back to this sheet, so they are able to
remember the vocabulary and its meaning. In addition to giving a vocabulary sheet, I will also
give students a graphic organizer with all the shapes and formulas for area that will be needed
in the lesson.
I will also purposefully group students during the activity-based notes so students can
practice explaining their thought process. This will allow them to build off of both their own
knowledge and their partners to create a deeper understanding of irregular shapes.]
5. Monitoring Student Learning and syntax
In response to the prompts below, refer to the assessments you will submit as part of the
materials for Planning Task 1.
a. Describe how your planned formal and informal assessments will provide direct
evidence of students’ conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, AND mathematical
reasoning and/or problem-solving skills throughout the learning segment.
[I will be informally assessing student’s performance and prior knowledge during the activity-
based notes on lesson 3 by roaming around the room. In both lessons one and two I have
informal assessment in more of a self-reflective form. This self-assessment will take place
during the guided notes sections where I will ask students to both reflect before and after certain
sections to see what they’re picking up, and what they still feel they need work with.
Formal assessments will be performed before and after the lessons. The pre-test will
assess student’s prior knowledge and also inform me of what students already struggle with.
This will help me know what students are specifically struggling with (conceptual
understandings, procedural fluency, and/or mathematical reasoning). The exit ticket will take
place at the end of class and will give me information about students conceptual understanding.
This will allow me to focus on what students are struggling with the next day, and inform me with
what content I can take further.]
b. Explain how the design or adaptation of your planned assessments allows students with
specific needs to demonstrate their learning.
Consider the variety of learners in your class who may require different
strategies/support (e.g., students with IEPs or 504 plans, English language learners,
struggling readers, underperforming students or those with gaps in academic
knowledge, and/or gifted students).
[Students who struggle with reading will practice visualizing the pieces by drawing lines in each
example. They will also practice underlining important information and include drawings as
needed. Fill-in the blank notes will be provided while discussing past knowledge of areas.
Graphic organizer will be provided to help sort information of areas as well as vocabulary for
students who need help organizing information Students who exhibit math anxiety will be given
unlimited time on exams and will be placed with others who have math anxiety so during the
brainstorm they do not get overwhelmed with what others are saying. Students who struggle
with reading will practice visualizing the pieces by drawing lines in each example.]

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Secondary Mathematics

Task 1: Planning Commentary

TASK 1: PLANNING COMMENTARY

2. Knowledge of Students to Inform Teaching

3. Supporting Students’ Mathematics Learning

Compare/Contrast Justify Describe Explain Prove

Please see additional examples and non-examples of language functions in the

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